Los Blancos midfielder Mesut Ozil has lost his spot to Luka Modric, and reportedly has mutual interest from Manchester United.

Photo: Reuters

With a pivotal matchup looming Saturday against second place Athletic Madrid, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is considering several moves for the January transfer session.

Los Blancos are eight points behind Athletic Madrid, and could considerably cut their lead with a huge victory.

That win, along some moves in January, could put Mourinho’s side back in the mix to challenge Barcelona for the La Liga title, though they admittedly have a long way to go.

Mourinho once again has his eyes on 29-year-old midfielder Daniele de Rossi from Roma, according to TalkSport. Back in October, De Rossi was linked to the Bernabeu, but he also reportedly has ties to Chelsea, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain, as he is clashing with Roma manager Zdenek Zeman.

It is believed De Rossi would prefer to avoid the Premier League, and would rather play in Spain or Paris, where many of his former Serie A mates have gone.

Defender Ashley Cole is another possible option. The versatile Chelsea star has been linked to Paris Saint-Germain, but has not completely ruled out a move to the Bernabeu.

But Mourinho isn’t stopping there. He is also considering sending players off.

Midfielder Mesut Ozil has lost his spot to Luka Modric as the Croatian has settled into Mourinho's system, which may mean that Ozil is being shopped, according to The Sun. Manchester United have renewed their interest in the German national.

The 24-year-old has a market value of around £35 million, and Madrid is reportedly seeking at least £24 million, double what they paid to pry him away from Werder Bremen. Since arriving in 2010, Ozil has scored 11 goals in 84 appearances.